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Safety Highlight – Snowshoeing in Steep Terrain
Lessons from Mountaineer Incidents

Seattle Climbing and Seattle Safety committees are experimenting with raising awareness of safety issues that can arise on climbs, scrambles, backcountry skiing, and other Mountaineer activities. Previous Safety Highlights and other information are available on the Safety Committee’s web page.

Identifying information has been removed or disguised.

-- Dave Shema, Seattle Branch Safety Officer

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Ascents and descents of steep terrain can be challenging, especially while wearing snowshoes.  In this incident, 2 climbers went sliding. Those below the sliding climbers were also in a precarious spot.

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December 30, 2012 - Snoqualmie Mtn

Injuries: Sore Shoulder

Cause: Wearing snowshoes while descending steep slope

[Leader] We had two incidents of a person falling and sliding while wearing snowshoes. In one fall, the person slid about 30 yards and toppled another party member before stopping.  
 
In the second incident, we were retreating from a slope that was too steep. While moving down, one person started sliding. He knocked over several other party members, then slid down further before stopping.  That person said he clipped a tree and complained of a sore shoulder.  When we regrouped and became aware of an injury, the group decided to retreat. All made it back to the parking lot.  

[Leader] Some thoughts come to mind:

• The group should not have attempted the pitch that caused incidents and turned us around, but rather contoured around the feature.
  

• The group should not have set a track straight up the fall-line, but rather done more angle lines and switch-backing.  Once a step "blew out", the path became a chute with lower climbers in harm’s way.
  

• When caught in steep terrain, consider removing snowshoes despite post-holing. The last person to fall was down-climbing with snowshoes.  The person above him removed his snowshoes before successfully kicking steps on the way down.
  
  

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